Final Destination: Hand of Fate
by Nex the Slayer
Summary: When a group of tourists is saved from death by a clairvoyant serviceman named Adam, each one scrambles for answers to what happened. When Death comes back 'round to claim their lives, Adam fights to change his fate.
1. Tourist Trap

"Yo, Adam," Steven called out.

Adam opened his eyes. He'd fallen asleep on the open roof double decker tour bus he and his fellow service members, Steven and Brent, were riding on. They belonged to the NAVY, and their ship had pulled in on the East Coast the day before for an extended overhaul. Now they were taking their much deserved and long awaited Liberty to tour the city, see the sights, and drink as much booze as they possibly could before their port call was over.

"Earth to Adam!" Brent joined in.

Sitting up from his slumped position, Adam feigned confusion as he looked around the second floor of the bus, playing along. The city was high and wide all around them, and the assorted tourists who also occupied the bus were observing the urban surroundings with wide awed eyes.

"Are we there yet?" he slurred with a half smile. Adam was a little taller than an average guy, with short military cut brown hair. He was wearing a dark green hoodie with jeans.

"If you'd been paying attention, you wouldn't care," Brent folded his arms. "So, what do you think?" Brent was hispanic, with black hair that matched his stature: short. He was wearing a brown overcoat and baggy jeans.

"What do I think about what?" Adam answered, confused.

"Man, you really don't know, do you?" Steven shook his head. Steven was their token black guy, who always spoke his mind and didn't care who he offended. Seemingly not bothered by the low temperature, he wore a simple red shirt with khakis.

After a few seconds of Adam looking between the two of them, Brent sighed. "Dude, the chick sitting two rows in front of us. She's hot as hell!"

Adam looked at where he was motioning. The dark haired girl they must've been talking about was indeed two rows up, but Adam couldn't tell whether she was as incredible as they said she was. They were sitting in the back, she was facing the front of the bus, and the seats between them hid her figure.

"I can't see anything from back here. How hot are we talking?"

"If looks could kill, she'd be a damn murderer." Steven bragged.

"So in other words," Adam teased. "She's _way _out of your league."

"_Attention passengers,_" a voice came over the bus announcing system. "_Welcome to Church St., near the heart of the city. This will be the last stop before returning to our starting point and the conclusion of the tour._"

"Finally," Brent leaned back. "I'm hungrier than a fat chick at a health food store."

"Doesn't the bus have a cafe downstairs?" Adam pointed out.

"You call that shit hole a cafe?" Steven shook his head again. "Good luck getting anything out of there that won't wreck your stomach later."

"In that case, I'll just get some water," Adam stood up to go downstairs. "You guys want anything?"

"Naw man, I'm good," Steven held up his hands. "I like my digestive track the way it is."

"Get me a coffee, black," Brent accepted Adam's offer.

"When your dumb ass gets Double Dragon later, don't be mad when say 'I told you so'," Steven rubbed his hands together, signifying him washing his hands of whatever happened next.

Adam smiled to himself as he descended the stairs at the back of the bus, then made his way up to the small coffee shop behind the Driver's seat. A young female, dressed in a casual outfit with a coffee store apron, stood behind the narrow counter.

Blonde, skinny, and tall, the girl had to stoop under the low ceiling to fill the orders. Despite the size of her workspace, she navigated the coffee shop expertly, multitasking with little effort. After a short wait in line, Adam stepped up.

"Name's Karen, what can I get for you?" she asked with red face and a fake smile, her congenial personality conveying a well kept front.

"You can stop smiling, for one," Adam snickered. "Your face looks like a wax statue."

The girl's countenance changed almost instantly. Her smile fell down into an almost frown, and Adam could see the tension leaving her face. This was how she really looked.

"Better?" Adam asked.

"You have no idea," Karen rolled her eyes. "I have to do this, cuz otherwise I look really pissed of and no one wants to buy anything."

"Don't worry, you'll get paid anyway."

"Right, well… what can I get for you? For real this time." Karen flashed a natural smile, one that looked much nicer in Adam's opinion.

"A water and a coffee, black please."

"That's easy enough," she replied. In a few seconds, Karen had a cup of hot coffee and a water bottle on the counter. Adam pulled out his wallet to pay, but Karen put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry about it, it's on me."

Adam hesitated, then placed his wallet back in his pocket. "Thanks."

"No, thank you. And… thanks for your service. Adam, right?" she pointed to Adam's neck, where one of his dog tags had slipped out from under his shirt. He quickly tucked it back into his shirt.

"Yes, and you're welcome," Adam responded sincerely.

"Be careful, that coffee's scalding," Karen warned.

"Aye."

Adam grabbed the water and the coffee and walked towards the back to the stairs. On the way, an elderly black couple caught his eye. Clearly not used to the cold weather, they were bundled up six different ways. On top of that, they were decked out with tourist equipment: fanny packs, cameras, and map guides. Another thing that caught his eye was the hand of the middle aged man one seat behind the couple, which was reaching into the wife's purse.

Without a second thought, Adam slipped the water bottle into his pocket, grabbed the caucasian man's arm with his free hand, yanked it around and behind the man's back, then forced him against the bus window. The man grunted in pain, surprised at he sudden submission. Several people noticed Adam's actions, and more were beginning to become aware, the elderly couple included.

"Apologize in the next five seconds, or live to regret it," Adam hissed into the man's ear. The couple turned around, unaware of what had caused the confrontation, and confused as to what they should be doing next. "Do it _now_."

"I ain't apologizing for shit," the man spat into the window. "You ain't a cop, and you ain't got no evidence!"

"I don't need evidence to kick your ass," Adam responded cooly. He quickly poured a small stream of the coffee down the man's shirt. An audible sizzling could be heard as the liquid trickled down his back.

_Geez, she wasn't kidding about the coffee, _Adam thought to himself as the thief screamed out in pain. His struggling shifted the thief's hair, revealing a tattoo of a skull at the base of his neck. A strange feeling of unease came over Adam, but he ignored it.

"All right, all right!" the man conceded defeat, then mumbled. "Sorry…"

Adam yanked the man's arm up again and poured some more coffee down his shirt. "_Who's_ sorry?"

"Agh! _I'm_ sorry! Geezus!"

"Sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for stealing from your purse!" the thief spoke to the wife. "I was stealing from your purse, and I'm sorry! Can you let me go now?"

Adam weighed his options. "Eh, sure, why not." Adam released the man's arm and stepped back. The man immediately whipped around, fists flying. The young serviceman ducked under a high right, then delivered a strong right directly into the face of his attacker. The thief crumpled and collapsed into his seat, unconscious.

"Karen," Adam called out. "Can I get a refill on the coffee?"

"Ten steps ahead of you, honey!" Karen had witnesses the entire incident, and had a fresh cup of black coffee sitting on the counter before Adam had even asked. He returned to the counter, exchanging his half cup for the full cup of coffee.

"You are a godsend."

"I know."

Adam appreciated Karen's speed. He didn't like the attention he was drawing from the other riders, even if it was one of adoration for his "heroic" actions. The elderly woman was rifling through her purse, checking to make sure the thief hadn't actually stolen anything, and everyone on the bus was murmuring and pointing at the man.

As Adam reached for the new cup, a coffee stain on the counter he hadn't noticed before leapt out at him. It was an old stain, ingrained in the wooden counter. It had likely been there for a while… but the fact that he hadn't seen it before was odd to him.

"Hey, Karen," Adam waved her over. "Has this stain always been here?"

Karen leaned over the counter, looking at the stain. "Nope, never seen it before… that's weird, it looks old." She grabbed a wet rag and scrubbed it. "It won't come up, either."

"Doesn't it kinda look like a skull?" Adam traced the stain with his finger, showing the break marks that looked like teeth protruding from a forward facing skull.

"Yeah, I guess… wow, I see it now! That's creepy."

"Yeah, it is," Adam felt himself becoming uneasy. He couldn't explain it, but there was a churning in his gut, telling him something bad was going to happen. He shook it off. _Meh, it's probably nothing. I should get back to the guys… Brent will be pissed if he doesn't get his coffee soon._

After picking up the refill, Adam briskly walked to the back of the bus, and began to climb the stairs to the second level. On his way up though, he bumped into someone on their way down the stairs. Adam quickly leaned forward, attempting to hold the coffee steady, and wrapped his arm around the girl he hit to keep her from falling.

"Whoa," Adam spoke as he juggled the girl and the coffee. "I'm sorry about that, are you all right?"

The girl broke away from his grasp, falling on her rear on the step behind her. The girl curled her arms around herself and stared at Adam coldly. She was insanely beautiful, and he automatically thought back to the girl the guys had been talking about. This must've been her!

Their eyes locked, and for several long moments, neither could do anything but stare at each other. Her dark hair almost looked wet, joined together in clumps of strands instead of individually. Her face was slender, and Adam guessed she was russian.

"Are you all right?" Adam spoke in russian, hoping to get a response. She obviously hadn't been expecting to hear her own language; she looked surprised, and though she might not have meant to, her demeanor relaxed some.

"I can speak English," she replied in a thick accent. "And your russian is terrible."

"I know," Adam admitted. "It was a line I picked up while I was overseas, just in case. I don't really know any russian."

"It shows."

Adam held out his hand to the girl. "I'm Adam."

The young russian stiffened immediately, but after a few moments of Adam holding his hand out, not making any other moves, she gingerly took his hand in hers. "Natalie."

He helped Natalie to her feet, then froze. Adam's eyes were drawn to her cleavage, not for the obvious reasons, but because of her necklace. Natalie was wearing a necklace with a miniature skull as a pendant. The feeling of impending doom loomed over Adam for the third time, along with a sensation he knew all too well: fear.

Natalie noticed Adam's gaze and turned away from him, covering her chest. "What are you staring at? This is very rude, Adam."

"Have you ever had the feeling that something bad was going to happen?" Adam had to get this off of his chest. The guys would just laugh at him, but talking to someone neutral like Natalie… "I can't shake this feeling that I need to be very far away right now. Anywhere but here."

Her eyes softened. "I know it. I came here because I felt it all the time back home. But, I don't feel like something bad is going to happen. I feel like someone is watching me."

"Watching you?" Adam's usual non-superstitious self started to return, and the feeling of fear he'd had earlier was fading. Right now, he could only think of how he was talking to a paranoid hot chick.

"It was not noticeable at first, only a fleeting feeling here and there. But it got worse… I came to America hoping it would go away."

"And?"

"Those eyes are still watching me," Natalie gave a sorrowful smile. "I know I sound crazy. You probably don't believe me at all."

She was exactly right. Adam didn't believe a word of it. "Sorry, that's not something I can understand. I've never felt that before."

Natalie nodded her head and looked away. She'd expected a response like that.

"But if you want my advice…" Adam continued. Natalie looked back. She hadn't expected him to continue. "Follow your instinct. If someone's watching you, follow the eyes. Find the source, and make it stop."

Natalie smiled. "You make it sound so simple."

"You make it sound so complicated," Adam retorted.

A small laugh escaped Natalie's lips. It was captivating, intoxicating even. Adam found himself laughing as well, enjoying the moment. Their eyes locked again, except this time, there was less mystery. It was a look of recognition. Kinship. Trust.

After a moment, Adam offered his hand, and walked Natalie down the stairs to the first level, the coffee in his hand forgotten.


	2. Death on Wheels

Jeff yawned. He'd been up late last night, drinking with his buddies. Now he had a wicked hangover, and his job effectiveness was suffering as a result. He was a construction worker, and right now his crew was lifting a series of I-beams up from ground level to the thirtieth floor of the city's newest skyscraper. Jeff sat in his crane, operating the pulley system to lift the I-beams.

He yawned again. Now was not the time to be getting sleepy…

Winona was late for work, and now she'd dropped her phone on the floor. She needed a chance to bend down and pick it up. Traffic was busy though, and she didn't want to get into an accident. Winona waited for a good chance.

It was over for Jordan. His wife had left him, his job was as good as gone, and all his so called "friends" were gone with the wind. The only pleasure he had left was enjoying his last cigarette, an experience Jordan milked for all it was worth. Too soon, it seemed, the cigarette had been burned to a stump, and he discarded it into the center of the road. Time to go get wasted…

Everything happened in slow motion. Adam had just finished escorting Natalie down the stairs, hoping to treat her to something from the cafe. He never had the chance.

The honking of several cars could be heard outside, and Adam looked to front of the bus just in time to see that the driver had blatantly run a red light. That creepy feeling re-emerged, and Adam was reminded of what had made him talk to Natalie to begin with.

"Something's wrong," Adam spoke up. Left Natalie's side and made his way to the front of the bus. Adam could feel the eyes of the passengers on his back as he approached the driver. Even Karen had a look of mixed concern and fear as he walked past her counter.

"Excuse me, sir?" Adam spoke to the driver. "I think you just ran a red light."

"Yes, I know," he spoke calmly and low. "I don't want anyone to panic, but the brakes are out. I'm just going to coast down and pull over. Can you help keep everyone calm?"

Adam took a moment and processed. Brakes were out. Okay…

"It's all right everyone." Adam spoke to everyone on the first floor. "It was an honest mistake." A wave a relief could be seen passing backwards through the crowd. They'd seen Adam take down the thief earlier. They trusted him.

"Oh, fuck me," Adam heard the driver swear. The bus had slowed down considerably, but a hundred feet ahead, the road dropped sharply. "There's a hill at the end of this road that goes for the next mile."

"Swerve!" Adam suggested, thinking quickly. "Use the oncoming lane, there's no one in it!"

The driver complied immediately, making wide turns to further slow the bus. In ten seconds, the bus reached the end of the flat road. The bus slowed, slowed, slowed… then stopped just on the cusp of the hill. The driver, who hadn't been breathing, sighed audibly.

_Bam!_ Winona's car nudged the back bumper of the bus. She'd bent down to pick up her phone, and had noticed the bus a moment too late.

The damage had been done. The slight forward motion from Winona pushed the bus over the brink, and down the hill. The vehicle quickly picked up speed, accelerating down the street. Signs and onlookers flew by faster and faster, and it wasn't long before the passengers began to notice. As soon as they started to notice, they started to scream.

Adam clung to the counter of the cafe, and Karen did the same. Natalie was still near the stairs, holding onto seat handles for support.

Suddenly everything turned upside down. Jeff, who'd fallen asleep on the job, dropped a two hundred pound I-beam in the dead center of the road. The bus' front tires slammed into the beam, the momentum of the five ton vehicle causing it to flip forward.

The bus landed on it's top, crushing everyone on the second floor into a bloody mess on the pavement. The thief, the only person on the first floor that wasn't holding onto something, dropped from the floor to the ceiling face first and broke his neck.

As the bus coasted down the hill on it's back, Natalie was thrown forward towards the stairs. She fell up the stairs and into the pavement rushing by the opening to the second floor. She, too, was crushed, and registered as little more than a bump on the bus' ride.

Soon after, one of Karen's pots of coffee fell free, landing on her arms and burning her flesh. Karen immediately let go of the counter on reflex to the pain, and tumbled backwards towards the front of the bus, where she was ejected through the front windshield. As she rolled to a stop on the pavement, the I-beam that flipped the bus landed directly on top of her after finishing it's own trip down the steep hill.

The bus came to a stop in the middle of an intersection, where a eighteen wheeler rammed he bus from a perpendicular direction. The force of the hit threw the elderly black woman from the bus through a side window, where she was pulverized by a passing car a second later. Her husband, in shock and not thinking clearly, climbed out into the street to make his way to his wife's still body. He, too, was hit by a passing car that ironically had swerved to miss his wife.

Adam lay in the ruins of the bus, battered and bruised. Drops of what must have been gasoline dripped down from the floor above him. Everything had gone quiet, and to be honest, Adam was afraid to move at all. The fact that more than half the people on the bus had died hadn't registered to him yet. He was operating on brainpower alone, no emotion.

He slowly sat up, the glass beneath his hands cutting into him. With considerable effort, Adam crawled his way to one of the broken windows, with the intent to climb out. The gasoline formed a pool that spread from the bus, spreading across the road. The diesel fuel met Jordan's cigarette stub, catching flame and traveling back to the bus.

One thought crossed Adam's mind before his world exploded.

"Aw, hell."


End file.
